Greens call for genuinely affordable housing at Gillette corner

27 February 2017

Tony Firkins, the Hounslow Green Party co-ordinator, has written to Hounslow Council on behalf of Hounslow Green Party to ask for genuinely affordable homes to be included in the Gillette corner scheme.

Tony said “The Green Party support new housing in Brentford because there is a shortage of affordable homes in the area. None of the 100 new homes are genuinely affordable so the plans must be reworked. The Council must also plan new infrastructure to support these homes.”

In his letter Tony has asked the Council to refuse this application so an amended scheme can be brought forward that:

• Includes at least 40% of properties which are truly affordable to those on lower incomes

• Includes 10% of properties which are affordable to those on minimum wage

Tony has also questioned the high development cost per square metre, which makes affordable housing seem infeasible. He has also requested that the carbon footprint of the scheme is reduced and is matched by increased capacity for public transport, doctor’s surgeries and schools.

Please refer to the Planning Application: Gillette South –System Reference: P/2017/0053, Planning Reference: 00505/AF/P27,which can be found at on the Hounslow council planning portal.

We understand that a new planning application for the site of the former Shell petrol station (currently, the Sky temporary car park) by Gillette Corner and across Syon Lane from Homebase was submitted to Hounslow Council in December 2016. Promoted as Gillette South, the site owners have applied to build a 14 level structure to include: